Mark 4 Discussion Guide for Disciple Makers

This is the fourth post in a series of discussion guides on Mark’s Gospel that can be used by disciple makers with new disciples. These questions are intended to help a new disciple learn how to study the Bible and apply the Word to his or her life.

Discussion Guide For Disciple Makers (Mark 4:1-41)

1. [v. 1] From the last couple of chapters, what have we learned about the crowds and why they are following Jesus at this point? What is He doing to draw such large crowds?
2. [v. 2] What is a parable? What was Jesus’ purpose in teaching the crowds in parables?
3. [vv. 3-9] Does anything about this parable bother you? Was this the typical farming practice in the first century?
4. [vv. 10-12] To whom is Jesus willing to reveal the “secret of the kingdom of God”? Why is He intentionally secretive with the crowds?
5. [vv. 13-20] If you hadn’t read Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower, would you have been able to come up with these four explanations on your own? How would you explain this parable in your own words?
6. [vv. 21-25] What is Jesus’ point about the light and standard of measure? What is the application to your life as a follower of Jesus?
7. [vv. 26-29] What does the Parable of the Growing Seed tell us about our role in evangelism? What is God’s role?
8. [vv. 30-32] How does the Parable of the Mustard Seed give us hope that God’s kingdom will advance?
9. [vv. 33-34] Jesus explained everything to His own disciples. How does that inform your agenda as a disciple and as a disciple maker? Was Jesus’ secretive teaching temporary? Or should we be teaching the same way today?
10. [vv. 35-41] How does the story about the fierce windstorm reveal Jesus as human and as divine? Why do you think Jesus’ disciples were terrified to discover Jesus’ power over the wind and waves?
11. What is the most remarkable thing you learned about Jesus in this chapter?
12. What does this chapter inspire you to do to be more like Jesus?

Additional Resources

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You can find the other discussion guides here as they come available (about one a week): Mark 1 | Mark 2 | Mark 3 | Mark 4 | Mark 5 | Mark 6 | Mark 7 | Mark 8 | Mark 9 | Mark 10 | Mark 11 | Mark 12 | Mark 13 | Mark 14 | Mark 15 | Mark 16